My birthday will be next week, but my family’s gift arrived in the mail in advance! I have a serger!!! I had to test and try as much as possible, experimenting with it and basically opening a whole new Pandora’s vase of sewing possibilities. I made projects with knit fabric before, but I always wanted to try to use a serger and test the difference.
I had 1 meter of cotton jersey purchased from Blackbird Fabrics and decided to see how many projects I could fit in it, using up all the fabric and reducing the waste as much as I could. This 100% cotton jersey is 68” wide with stripes, 30% stretch crossgrain.
The first project that I cut was the Tyra Tee from Just Patterns, after last week success with the Tatjana Trousers the Tyra Tee was in my wish list for my birthday, and it was part of my sister’s gift! I really like the oversized look, but looking at the finished measures I decided to size down one size and I made a 36. From the pictures you can see that it is still oversized. The pattern has a wide size range (34-56) and it is a very quick project. It took me more time to figure out the settings and cutting the fabric (keeping the stripes straight) than to sew it. My serger (Singer s0100) settings were 2 3/4 – 3 – 4 1/4 – 2 1/4, length 3.
At this point I realised that I actually had quite a lot of fabric leftover, so I decided to try the Pua Tank by Paradise Patterns which it’s free (!!!) if you sign up to Paradise Patterns newsletter. This top is available in 2 views, view A for B cup, and view B for D cup (size range 0-16). It is a simple tank top with high neckline and binding for neckline and armholes. It was my first time trying binding with jersey, and it gives a very professional result. I made a size 6 and I used a double needle to finish the hem and binding. The fit is spot on! I was able to match the stripes on the side seams, but I had to cut the back piece in two parts adding a center back seam to work with the fabric that I had. Also in this case I highly recommend the pattern. The instructions were great, with a lot of details, perfect for a beginner.
Finally I had a small amount left, and a few months ago I downloaded the Acacia Underwear from Megan Nielsen. Another free pattern for all newsletter’s subscribers. This pattern is available in size 0-20 and it’s a basic full coverage brief and low rise. I made a size 10 and it fits well, even if I’ll tweak it a bit next time. I used picot elastic and a zig zag stitch to finish it. Again great instructions and a great way to use up knit leftovers!! …and I mean underwear is never enough 🙂
Cost
Cost breakdown for the three projects:
- Patterns: Tyra Tee (gift for me, $10 otherwise), Pua Tank and Acacia underwear free
- Fabric: $7.77
- Thread: I got serger thread ($10 for 4 bobbins) that will last me for a long time
Francesca's fold 